


Agony

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Like really sick, Mostly hurt, Sick Character, Sickfic, just pain, no dialogue in the first chapter, sick keith, tw: emeto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-07 07:13:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10354977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Keith falls ill and puts off telling anyone until things have gotten far out of hand.





	1. Bad to Worse

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for a sickfic centric blog in tumblr  
> If you're emetophobic then it would probably be in your best interest to avoid reading this

Keith‘s stomach hadn’t felt right all day. From the moment that he’d woken up that morning a vague sense of malaise had hovered around him like a ghost, warding off any appetite that he might have had. Throughout the day the only thing that he’d been able to convince himself to consume was a small bowl of bland food goo with a little water. The red paladin had hoped that the small meal would have been enough to awaken some hunger in himself but it had only served to make his stomach turn and gurgle while it struggled to digest. Training had been a chore as he tried to struggle through with no fuel to keep himself awake and moving. Deep bone-aching tiredness weighed him down making him noticeably slower and more sluggish than usual. In an attempt to hide his discomfort from the rest of team Voltron the red paladin had sequestered himself away in the training rooms while everyone else went about their day as usual. This was not an uncommon enough occurrence for the rest of the castle’s inhabitants to take notice and after they wrapped up their own daily morning training as a team everyone had dispersed without giving Keith’s condition any thought.

Solo training might have not been the most comfortable way for Keith to spend his free time but he did it out of habit, dragging his aching sweaty body in round after round of sparring with the castle’s robots. Sweat beaded much more thickly than usual on his brow and his breath came in short sharp pants as he fought again, and again, and again, pushing painfully through the early afternoon. Keith had long since lost track of time when he finally collapsed, panting and gasping as he deactivated the robot. Grimacing he knelt on the padded floor of the training room, bowing over so that his palms pressed against the ground in front of him. His vision swam sickeningly as Keith raised his head and so he quickly shut his eyes, curling up in a ball on the floor just as his stomach cramped. The sharp tightening of his already uneasy stomach came as a surprise to Keith and he let out a small cry as his insides seized and writhed, the meager contents of his stomach rolling and sloshing in time with the pain. A fain gurgle emanated from deep inside of him and the sweat that had beaded on his hot forehead began to drip down his face. No sooner did the pain of the cramp loosen than the gurgling in Keith's stomach turned into a soft breathy burp. Panting he allowed himself to relax, flopping sideways onto the floor and lying there exhaustedly—Nausea rose and fell within him, but Keith struggled to force it down, he did not want to be sick on the training room floor. If he tried hard enough—he thought—he might be able to power through and not throw up at all. 

He was not sure how long that he laid there panting on the floor—it might have been minutes, it might have been hours—but very suddenly the sweat that had soaked through his hair and training clothes seemed to turn frigid and Keith found himself shivering. Wincing he cautiously opened his eyes, bracing himself against the dizzy swirl of light that awaited him. Surely enough the dizziness was there but it was not as severe as before, and the nausea that had churned through him had calmed enough for the red paladin to think somewhat clearly. He needed to change his clothes, a warm room with a soft bed awaited him only a few floors up, all he needed to do was stand up and get there. Slowly but surely he pulled his aching body up into a kneeling position and then a standing one, closing his eyes only for a moment as a head rush and vertigo struck him—likely as a result of not having eaten anything substantial. 

The walk was not an easy one; Keith’s vision swam before him, twisting and warping the castle’s hallways. He found that he had to rest every few steps, leaning against the wall as his head spun and his stomach gurgled and cramped. With every moment the cramps that seized his insides became more painful until each wave of pain was crippling, leaving him panting and hunched over against the cold metal of the wall. The red paladin shivered and gritted his teeth against the cold and pain as cold sweat continued to run down his body. Finally he stumbled into the elevator, pressing the button for the paladin’s quarters with a sigh of relief. It had just dawned on him that he had probably already missed dinner when the elevator lurched upwards, sending his weakened body crashing to the floor in a painful heap. The nausea that had been steadily rising in him surged once more as his stomach cramped, bringing a hot stinging liquid up into his throat as his insides seized again. His stomach felt as though it were being squeezed in a giant fist and the pain brought tears to his eyes as he fought to keep the liquid down. 

Keith gagged, and then he gagged again, small splashes of acidic vomit burning the base of his throat as his insides gurgles and clenched, but nothing came up. Saliva flooded his mouth and a thin string of drool dripped from his quivering lips while his stomach wrenched and flipped, sending waves of screaming pain through his abdomen. Keith’s body—which had moments ago felt freezing cold—seemed to turn molten as his muscle and organs fought against themselves, and the sweat of his burning palms left glistening handprints against the cool floor of the elevator. Even as the elevator jolted to a stop at the correct level Keith remained on the ground stunned as agonizing heaves ripped through him. The gurgling of his stomach was violent enough that it was actually audible over the gags and burps that came from the boy’s mouth. 

Finally after what seemed to be an eternity of paralyzing nausea the heaving of Keith’s stomach slowed to a steady sharp ache, leaving him curled up and panting as he struggled to catch his breath. The red Paladin’s body felt as though it was burning beneath his clothes, and yet more sweat poured from his skin, creating dark stains beneath his arms and across his back. Harsh shivers shook him and further blurred his vision, leaving him pained, exhausted, and nearly blind. Grimacing Keith shakily cradled his aching stomach, dimly wondering where everyone was as he peered through the open elevator doors into the empty hallway. Even through his pain and unusual exhaustion Keith’s biological clock was accurate enough to tell him that it was after dinner but beyond that he was unsure of how late it was. 

The others might be spending time together in the recreation area, Coran and Allura might have been planning and plotting on the bridge, Pidge and Hunk might have been tinkering in the lab or Hunk could be alone in the kitchen preparing a meal for tomorrow. Lance was either lounging around somewhere or already in his room enjoying his free time. Shiro could be anywhere in the castle, he might even have been training down in the room that Keith had just vacated. The thought of missing Shiro by mere moments caused tears to well up in the red paladin’s eyes despite his best efforts and Keith quickly wiped them away. He had no reason to be upset; he was more than capable of taking care of himself. Keith didn’t need Shiro to take care of him; he been fine on his own for years.

Holding desperately to his new resolve Keith struggled to his feet, lurching unsteadily out into the hall and moving towards his door. The lights on the ceiling stabbed into his head as he walked and the boy’s breath rasped harshly though his sore acid-burned throat. The pain in his abdomen radiated through him, stiffening his legs and making the shivers that wracked his body harsher and more agonizing. As suddenly as a lightning strike his stomach cramped again sending Keith stumbling to the floor. He didn’t even notice the pain of his skinned knees as his insides knotted. Hot acid bubbled up in his churning stomach again and he gagged, choking and heaving on the floor. Thin strands of long black hair clung uncomfortably against the sweat of his cheeks, and looking down Keith could see that even his hands were deathly pale as he shook like a leaf in the wind. No respite was given to him as his organs seemed to writhe within him, twisting and somersaulting as his body struggled to vomit. At this point the red paladin’s resolve left him as quickly as it had come and he succumbed to heaving and whimpering, his throat convulsing with every gag and burp. Every muscle of his body burned and tensed and the boy heaved and gagged but all he managed to bring up was a small mouthful of watery liquid that splashed onto the floor before him. It burned and stung his throat, mouth, and nose, leaving Keith choking and gasping as he continued to shake and struggle. No more would come up, no matter how his body tried. 

It was all that Keith could do not to collapse into the small puddle but the last vestiges of his pride would not allow for such a disgusting indignity. Painfully he dragged his burning aching body over to the wall and propped himself against it, his breath panting in hot short breaths. The muscles in the boy’s chest, back, and stomach ached and burned from the exertion of heaving, and his breath caught in his raw throat. Desperately miserably he sat, knowing with absolute surety that he couldn’t move anymore. Hopefully someone would find him soon. Closing his eyes Keith resolved to try to sleep. Maybe he would be able to ignore the pain and the rolling in his stomach in favor of sleep. He was exhausted.


	2. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is found but not necessarily saved. Shiro is pretty worried
> 
> I guess this is pretty open-ended huh. Maybe I'll continue it sometime

Sleep didn’t come to Keith. Instead he fell into a sort of pained haze as his vision blurred and his muscles weakened. The boy’s stomach rolled and his vision swam as if he were on a ship at sea. Dimly he was aware that each wave of nausea that pulsed through him was in time with the rhythm of his heartbeat—each pump of blood through his veins was accompanied by a jolt of pain through his tight aching stomach. In this daze Keith failed to recognize another rhythm, of slow steady—and then fast, running—footsteps. It was only when Shiro knelt before him and put a hand on Keith’s face that the red paladin realized that someone was there.

“Keith? Hey, what’s wrong?” Shiro said, the words barely piercing the fog of pain and fever that clouded his brain. Keith blinked and grimaced struggling to form a reply. He opened his mouth to speak but was stopped by a gag that threw his head forward into Shiro’s chest as his body convulsed. Shiro jerked in surprise, reflexively bringing his arms up around Keith and steadying him, pulling the boy close to his chest. The added pressure as he was pressed close to Shiro was agonizing and Keith breathed hard as he began to gag again, bringing up nothing but a thin string of drool that pooled on Shiro’s shoulder as his insides groaned and writhed. 

“Shit.” Shiro murmured, realizing what was going on. With careful movements he lifted a hand and brushed away the sweat sticky bangs that clung to Keith’s face. The black paladin gasped as he registered the boy’s temperature, pulling away in surprise. “Keith you’re burning up!”

Keith shuddered as his heaving finally stopped. With a pained sigh the boy collapsed into a nauseous heap, burying his face into Shiro’s shoulder and wrapping his arms around his aching stomach. The boy panted for breath, his body felt as though it was burning and he was drenched with sweat as his organs rolled and gurgled inside of him. He knew that he needed to vomit—that there was something that his body needed to be rid of—but it wouldn’t come up. The hot acidic liquid that had burned his throat sloshed relentlessly, making his stomach feel overly full and tight. Shiro watched in horror as the boy curled in on himself in obvious pain; in all of the years that he had known Keith he had never seen the boy so sick. Slowly—as though every movement was agonizing—Keith lifted his head, swallowing convulsively before speaking.

“Shiro…” He whispered, the soft words scraping harshly against the rawness of his throat. “I—” The boy broke off suddenly, gagging and then heaving as his stomach lurched. It took a few moments for him to regain control and the when Keith spoke again his voice was breathy and rough. “Shiro I don’t feel well.” His voice cracked as he spoke, and tears welled up in his already glassy eyes as Keith’s emotional tenacity ran out. The stress and pain of the day had built up, combining with the fever to leave him completely overwrought. Shiro finding him was such a relief that it sent him over the edge. Tears ran down Keith’s face as he began to sob, and Shiro quickly brought up his arms to hold the younger boy, rubbing circles into his back. The added pressure of his sobs combined with the heaving of Keith’s abdomen caused the contents of his stomach to rise to his throat again, and with a dangerous retch Keith pushed himself away from Shiro. He only just managed to turn away toward the empty hallway before a thick stream of vomit gushed from his mouth. The viscous light colored mixture poured out from him as he heaved and choked, splattering down onto the floor of the corridor.

Keith’s entire body shook with exertion and the muscles of his stomach and back rolled and strained in time with each retch. The vomit that streamed from his lips was neither thick nor thin, but somewhere in between—it was a sickly yellow green and it burned his throat and nose as he expelled it from his body. Shiro had quickly followed Keith as he turned, holding the boy by the shoulders to keep him from falling into his own vomit.

After what seemed like an eternity Keith’s heavy retches turned to dry heaves and gags. Shiro carefully pulled him into a sitting position murmuring quiet reassurances in an attempt to be comforting. With the edge of his sleeve he wiped the boy’s face, attempting to clear away the mess of tears mucus and vomit with limited success. “Hey now, you’re okay.” He murmured, doing his level best to sound reassuring. It was painfully obvious that Keith was very much not okay but Shiro had no intention of further upsetting the boy when he was already so distraught. Even as the black paladin comforted him tears still leaked from Keith’s eyes, his facial expression the picture of abject misery. “Are you done?” Shiro asked softly, moving Keith away from the puddle of vomit. Keith shook his head, keeping his mouth firmly closed as if he were afraid to try and speak again. While the tightness in his abdomen had been lessened by the bout of vomiting nausea still plagued him and the boy’s stomach seemed to ache more sharply than ever—likely as a result of the heaving. His vision blurred as he blinked despondently at Shiro, shivering and frowning. 

Making a split decision Shiro moved, scooping Keith into his arms and standing in one smooth movement. “I’m bringing you to the Med Bay.” He said, ignoring Keith’s cry of pain as he turned and walked towards the elevator. The black paladin knew that movement was likely very uncomfortable for Keith right now, but the boy’s condition was bad enough to warrant the discomfort. The high fever alone would have alarmed Shiro, but with the addition of the vomiting and the obvious pain that Keith was in made the boy’s state very alarming. Shiro could tell Keith needed medical attention as soon as possible. 

Keith had nearly lost consciousness from the sheer agony of being lifted. The movement caused a wave of intense vertigo to wash over him as the boy closed his eyes to avoid looking at the dizzying blur of lights and colors around him. His stomach somersaulted with each step, whatever was left in it splashing and gurgling within him. Releasing a wet burp he began to gag again as his mouth filled with saliva. Each gag sent a sharp pang of agony through his insides as they spasmed. With a heave he retched, bringing up another wave of burning liquid that splashed over his chest and lap. The thin vomit dripped down onto Shiro’s arms but the black paladin only reacted by holding onto Keith more tightly as he made his way through the castle. Shuddering and sobbing again Keith heaved again and again, at first bringing up more liquid and then dryly. His body convulsed as it struggled to vomit but nothing would come up, leaving Keith to retch with no avail. Finally the boy collapsed, panting and shuddering in utter exhaustion before finally passing out. His body lay limp and hot in Shiro’s arms.


End file.
